


Black King

by Koayyy



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 21:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19343293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koayyy/pseuds/Koayyy
Summary: Lelouch finds himself unable to sleep on the ship and gives Raduga a visit. In the quiet and cosy place, he's surprised when he meets someone that possesses the same voice as him.





	Black King

**Author's Note:**

> My only knowledge of Code Geass is from the collab, same for Lelouch's character bc I didn't wanna go onto the wiki and spoil myself. Please bear with me

With the virus still running through Nunnally’s veins, it’s no surprise that he can’t sleep that night. His mind is in complete overdrive, refusing to stop for even a short rest. In this state, staying in his temporary room wouldn’t do him any favours.

The sky is dark and void of stars when he looks through the window. Ignoring it, he gets up from the bed and makes himself as presentable as he can with his remaining energy. This late at night, nevermind Suzaku or Kallen, even C.C. would be fast asleep without a care in the world.

He gently closes the door, and starts his walk towards the upper floors. He has a place in mind that might distract him enough for his mind to slow down, having heard about it from the other crew members singing praise for it. He heads towards Raduga, the second galley of the ship that has been repurposed into some sort of night haven.

From what he’s heard, Raduga wasn’t just a place for adults craving for a lively nightlife while travelling on the ship, it was also a general place for people to relax at night. It serves alcohol, but also food and drinks that vary depending on where the ship lands. The place interests him, to say the least.

The light that emits from the doorway of Raduga is as obvious as the decorations hanging on it. The stunning rainbow jewels catch his attention, along with the lovingly crafted sign right beside it.

He expects some soft background music in the place upon entering, but the only thing that even hints to music is the small abandoned stage sitting against one wall. Though the place isn’t silent, he can hear quiet voices talking near the counter.

Someone is sitting there, quietly talking to Ladiva who whispers back in a tone befitting of a mother. That's just an assumption, he has nothing to compare her to considering what happened to his mother figure.

"Oh, Lelouch!" Ladiva calls out with a wave, and so Lelouch walks over without complaint. There's a look in her eyes that feel like gentle questioning, and he can't help but answer it.

"I just can't sleep," he says, and she nods in reply. The person at the counter turns to look at him, and there's a hint of surprise in his purple eyes.

"Well, feel free to sit around and relax. Just be sure to get some rest later," Ladiva chides warmly, then turns back to the person still sitting at the counter.

Lelouch considers sitting at the counter as well, maybe leaving a spot empty between him and the horned, white haired man. His thoughts are disrupted when he spots a lone person at a table in the distance.

It's a boy with curly black hair, not making a sound as he sits at a faraway table. The only thing in front of him is a chessboard, the black and white pieces arranged neatly in their starting places. The boy is just sitting there, with his hands in his lap and his eyes on the unchanging board.

Somehow, something tells Lelouch to go forward and sit in the empty spot right opposite him. It's a strange, illogical feeling, but he listens to it anyway.

He makes sure his footsteps are audible as he approaches, but the boy still startles when he places a hand onto the back of the chair opposite him. The boy looks at him—no, the boy _calculates_ him with grey eyes that hide behind a pair of glasses.

“Is this seat taken?” Lelouch asks in a tone that befits the persona he uses at school, yet a bit closer to his true self. The boy looks puzzled, but shakes his head in reply a moment later.

He takes his seat gracefully and quietly, eyeing the untouched chessboard sitting right on the table in front of him. He feels the boy’s grey eyes still watching him, as if trying to see through to his intentions.

Unfortunately for him, even Lelouch himself doesn’t know exactly why he’s here.

(At first Ren thought it was Arsene playing a trick on him again, but he vaguely remembers Ladiva talking to someone a moment ago. So this person is probably not his Persona in disguise, but an actual, separate human being.

Then why does he have the same voice as him?)

“Are you planning to play a game?” Lelouch asks, pointing to the chess pieces. They look well made despite the visible old stains in the wood. “Do you mind if I’m your opponent?”

The boy remains quiet as he looks at him. For a short moment, he thinks his offer will be rejected without fanfare, but his thoughts stop as the boy talks.

“That’s fine,” the boy says, and it takes him a moment to process it. Why does he have the same voice as him, and how? This may be another world, but someone else having the same voice as him was not in his expectations.

While Lelouch thinks, the boy reaches a hand out and moves a pawn forward. After putting the piece down in its new spot, his hand lingers for a moment as he looks straight at Lelouch. The boy’s eyes narrow and _something_ flashes in them, but it disappears too quickly for him to analyze it.  

This has gotten interesting, Lelouch thinks as he considers his move.

Halfway through their little game of chess, Jamil comes over with glasses of hot milk with some sort of honey mixed into them.

“From Ladiva, so you two can sleep later,” Jamil says as he places the second mug in front of Lelouch. Lelouch gives him a simple ‘thank you’ before he goes back to his spot behind the counter.

The boy gingerly takes the mug and takes a few sips as he thinks. Lelouch takes the time to savour his own mug, watching the gears turn in the boy’s head. Surprisingly, the boy is equally as good at chess as him, which is certainly saying something.

They play until there are only a few pieces left. It’s almost a draw, but Lelouch wins by sacrificing another piece to catch him in a trap. The boy didn’t show much on his face as they played, but now there’s a small frown on his face.

“It’s my win,” Lelouch says as he reaches an index finger out to tap the black king’s false wooden crown a few times, quickly retracting his hand after a tap that wobbles the piece.

He doesn’t miss how the boy flinches at the sight. It may be a small thing to others, but it’s as obvious as a blaring alarm in his eyes. So in response, he puts the king piece back onto the spot it rightfully belongs, and grabs the other pieces to begin placing them back as well. The boy helps him in resetting the board.

“Would you like another game?” he asks after they’re done, and the boy shakes his head after a moment.

“Thank you for the game, um…?” the boy trails off, tilting his head to the side. He’s using the easier, more subtle way to get a name out of another person.

“I have several names, but I’m Lelouch while on the ship,” he says, “and you are?”

The boy’s eyes narrow, and he sees it properly this time as they flash with something again. For a second, it looked as if his grey pupils changed into a deep red. He notices, but decides not to say anything about it.

“I’m Ren, while my mask isn’t on,” the boy—Ren—says after his eyes had changed back to their usual grey colour. Lelouch doesn’t know what he refers to by ‘mask’, but he has a feeling he’ll know sooner or later.

“You aren’t from this world, right?” Ren asks, he sounds sure of his assumption, but unsure about something else. It catches Lelouch by surprise, does he stand out that much?

“How did you get that?” Lelouch asks instead of giving him the answer. Ren places the now empty mug onto the table as he looks down in thought.

“Captain told me about new crew members from another world, and it’s the first time I’ve met someone with the same voice,” Ren says, lifting his eyes back up and looking at Lelouch. Lelouch meets him with his own eyes as he listens to his analysis. “I’ve also played chess with most of the crew members. Someone with your skill shouldn’t have been so hard to find.”

All valid points, Lelouch nods in reply. Hearing his own voice from another mouth and using such words is still more than a bit jarring to his ears. He’s going to have to get used to it, if they’re forced to stay here any longer.

“You shouldn’t have kept quiet about being from another world,” Ren says as a little confident smile sets onto his face. “I’m sure the Captain is used to people from other worlds at this point.”

Something about his tone sets off his instincts, and he would be a fool to not trust something like that this late in the game.

“Are you also from another world?” Lelouch asks, and Ren’s smile grows slightly bigger.

“Ever heard of Japan?” Ren asks as he holds a finger in the air, pointing upwards as if to a faraway place.

Lelouch sits up straight, and from there they dive into something that resembles a cultural exchange talk. Except instead of different cultures, it’s with different worlds.

It’s almost unbelievable. The world where Ren is from, Japan isn’t conquered and they live in relative peace with the other countries in the world. To Lelouch, whose world is overrun by war and politics at any given moment, it sounds like heaven.

“Your world is filled with war…” Ren mutters as he looks down, then looks up. “Not like our world doesn’t have its own fair share of troubles.”

“What troubles could your world possibly have?” Lelouch says, intertwining his fingers together as he leans his elbows onto the table. Ren doesn’t seem shocked at this, but there’s still a hint of bitterness that appears in his eyes.

“Corrupt adults that do whatever they please,” Ren says, looking away. It looks as if he’s trying to hide his anger. “Taking advantage of the innocent or people younger than them, satisfying their disgusting desires behind closed doors without even a thought about the consequences.”

More anger seeps into his voice as he goes on, as if he can’t seem to hide it or keep it under control as he continues talking.

Lelouch doesn’t have all the details, but he feels he can understand. It’s an illogical feeling.

“Which is why we formed the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, to expose their crimes to the public, for them to repent,” Ren says, and as if he’s gotten it off his chest, he seems to calm down. Almost as if he’s found the energy to slip a mask back on.

His speech does strike a chord in Lelouch, and he lets out an uncharacteristically loud laugh that even catches the attention of Ladiva and Jamil behind the counter.

“Oh, I certainly understand the need to rebel,” Lelouch says, leaning forward a little to fully look at Ren in the eye. “After all, I’m the leader of the Black Knights. The group of rebels fighting for the liberation of Japan from Britannia.”

Ren looks surprised for a second, but a smirk overtakes his face.

“Is your element dark?” Ren asks, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Of course, I’ll likely be helping around until I can go back to my world,” Lelouch says, a similar smirk appearing on his own face. It’s contagious.

“Then I look forward to working with you soon,” Ren says, holding a hand out across the chess board.

Lelouch takes it without needing second thoughts. “I also look forward to seeing you on the battlefield.”

Ren lets out a laugh, and for a moment, Lelouch thinks he might’ve heard another similar voice laughing alongside him.

“You’ll see, but until then, I have an idea,” Ren says after his laughter is done, his previous tone of mischief coming back full force.

Lelouch isn’t the type to entertain such ideas, but maybe he can let himself just this once. Without so many eyes on him in this world, his curiosity is growing strong enough to get the better of him.

“What sort of idea would that be?” he asks, sealing his fate when a new glint of something appears in Ren’s eyes.

Surprisingly, he’s looking forward to whatever Ren has in store. Maybe being in this world is doing him some sort of good after all.


End file.
